MMD chairperson for elections Gabriel Namulambe has come out strongly against the appointment of Senga Hill Member of Parliament (MP) Kapembwa Simbao as national secretary, describing the move as illegal and unconstitutional.

Mr Namulambe demanded that a full National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting be convened to address serious differences and irregularities in the former ruling party.

He said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the procedure to appoint Mr Simbao was wrong as a quorum was not formed.

"There were 32 members of which 30 were NEC members and two were ordinary members of the party. For the NEC to form a quorum, there should be at least 32 out of the 64 members, but members did not form a quorum to make a valid decision," he said.

Mr Namulambe, who is Mpongwe MP, said according to the party constitution, in the event that the position of national secretary fell vacant, the deputy national secretary was supposed to act until a substantive office bearer was elected.

He said if the deputy national secretary was not eligible to act in the position, a member within NEC could be appointed to the position.

"If there is no-one among the NEC members to be appointed to act, the position is floated to the general membership for them to apply, and if more people apply, then the applicants are subjected to an election," he explained.

Mr Namulambe said deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu was the appropriate person to act as national secretary and not Mr Simbao who was not even a NEC member.

"Mr Simbao is also surprised at his appointment and when I contacted him, he said he had not even received a letter of his appointment," he said.

On Monday some NEC members expelled Major Richard Kachingwe from the party and appointed Mr Simbao in his position.

Chairperson for women affairs Catherine Namugala declined to comment on the matter.

Mr Nyangu also refused to comment, referring all queries to MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya.

Meanwhile, MMD national youth chairperson, Tobias Kafumukache has warned Bowman Lusambo to stop associating the die-hard youth wing to the MMD because such a body did not exist in the party structures.

And MMD presidential office chairperson for party mobilisation Chiwele Maimisa, who is among cadres implicated in the attack of Maj Kachingwe, has challenged the police to summon MMD leader Nevers Mumba for questioning in connection with the same fracas.

Mr Maimisa has given the police up to 14:00 hours on Monday to retract a statement indicating that he and his colleagues were on the run.

He said in an interview yesterday that Mr Lusambo and Scorpion Kadobi would appear before the police for questioning on Monday around 10:00 hours.